How Steve Jobs Changed The World

[ReviewAZON asin=”1932841660″ display=”inlinepost”]Today’s post has been suggested by Brian Angelo, who writes the blog for The Cake Boutique Shop and has been a friend of mine for over thirty years. Steve Jobs was a visionary and a creative genius; something that the world is truly lacking today. Oftentimes people would equate him with “the other guy” and compare him to Bill Gates of Microsoft, but it was Jobs who helped to create some of the greatest technology innovations of our time. Whether you use Apple products or not, there is no denying that Steve Jobs had an impact on how you see the world. Here is a list of five of those inventions and how they changed all of our lives. You will be missed, Steve.

THE MAC

It all started with this computer. We use personal computers the way we do today because of the Mac. Do you realize how significant the release of the Mac was in the 1980s? That period in the information technology scene represents the time when computers were science fiction device plots and room-sized objects used by universities and rocket scientists into something personable and useful. Jobs and peers including Bill Gates made the personal computer a necessary part of every household.

THE IPOD

When I was a kid, music was listened to on vinyl records, compact disks, and clunky tape recorders. Thanks to Steve Jobs, 2001 marked the year when the iPod was released. It wasn’t the first MP3 player on the market, but Apple was able to package the device in such a way that everyone needed it. The iPod was stylish, minimalistic, and compact. This musical device proved to the world that the consumer responds to the aesthetic value of a device beyond its utilitarian design.

PIXAR

This isn’t an object that you can hold, but it is certainly one of the ways Steve Jobs transformed the world. Pixar changed film making. Sure, it is a company name, but in 1986, Steve Jobs bought a part of this company from George Lucas and evolved animation. Before Pixar, cartoons and animations were hand drawn and pieced together. Pixar had everything done by computer. Thanks to this company, we have films such as: Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Cars, Up, and The Incredibles.

IPHONE, IPAD, AND THE NEWTON

Touchscreen technology is another innovation of Steve Jobs. Before the release of the iPhone in 2007, smart phones were designed for only high end business people. Even those were ugly devices with buttons that could barely search the internet and could not use any sort of intricate software. Steve Jobs vision of the smart phone altered how the device operates and the look and feel of what we use today. In fact, in four years time, all smart phones have changed to look similar to the original iPhone. Sorry Droid users. The iPad, which came out in 2009 has had similar results. It created a need for the tablet industry and today, there are approximately two dozen manufacturers of this handheld computer. But what of this Newton? Is it a new device? No. It was a tablet computer released to the world by Steve Jobs and Apple back in 1987! You could take notes with it and it had handwriting recognition, but could do little else. It certainly was ahead of its time and was sent to pasture in 1998.

ITUNES AND APPS

The above items are really good examples of Jobs’ innovations to mankind, but iTunes and Apps are what have made them great. Two of Jobs’ most underrated innovations are the iTunes and App Stores, both of which have changed how people interact with digital music and software forever. In 2003, Jobs recognized that there was no way to purchase music online. The record companies and recording artists were complaining because people were sharing their music for free. Jobs came up with the idea to charge less than a buck (99 cents, originally) for a song. That way, you still had the option to buy an album, but if you wanted just the hit, you could buy that, as well. iTunes filled the gap in the music industry and allowed smaller artists to sell their music, too. This is the innovation that saved Apple and made it one of the most financially liquid companies in the world. Apps created a new industry for the phone and tablet industry. You have these handheld computers and now you had a means to fill them with programs. Everyone else followed suit.